Trout fishing a fall treat for anglers; Inland, Lake Superior streams close Sept. 30, Lake Michigan tribs open year-roun
News Release Published: September 13, 2012 by the Central Office
Contact(s): Steve Hewett, DNR, (608) 267-7501
MADISON – Fall colors, fishing fun, and good prospects for some fast action and some really big fish are on tap in coming weeks as trout begin their spawning runs, say state fisheries biologists, supervisors and technicians who work to improve fishing for the wily trout.
“For me September is the best month for Wisconsin trout fishing,” says Pete Segerson, the Black Falls based Department of Natural Resources fisheries supervisor whose crews carry out trout habitat improvement projects. “Crops are ripening, late summer-early fall colors have started to show and birds are staging and migrating. Later in the month I can combine hunting grouse, woodcock, and wood ducks in the morning and finishing the day fishing for trout.”
The trout fishing season is open on inland waters through the end of September. Fishing for trout and salmon species – with the exception of lake trout, which closes Oct. 31 -- is open year-round on Lake Michigan streams. Fishing for trout and salmon on Lake Superior streams closes Sept. 30.
Trout fishing inland and on Wisconsin’s Great Lakes waters has been great this year, with many of the biologists who sent in information in the past week reporting that drought conditions this summer in the southern half of the state had little impact on trout populations but may have kept some anglers at home. More fish to enjoy this fall!
Where and what to fish on inland waters
On inland waters, brown trout will soon begin upstream movements into smaller tributary streams to seek spawning habitat, so there’s an opportunity to catch trophy fish that have spent the summer hiding in deep-water pools and under logjams and are now congregating in smaller tributary streams, says Mike Miller, a DNR stream ecologist and avid trout angler.
Most of the insect hatches are winding down but anglers may still see blue-winged olives appear on overcast/drizzly days, and grasshoppers, crickets, and ants still getting blown into creeks on warm windy days, he says.
“Fishing fly patterns that look and move like crayfish, on the bottom in the deeper, “dark” water, is a good way to increase the likelihood of hooking a large brown trout,” Miller says.
Shawn Sullivan, also a fisheries supervisor of crews Waushara/Marquette/Waupaca counties, says that those who fish with a spincasting rod to fish will want to try medium to large bait fish imitation. Rapalas, spinners or streamers. Gold and silver bodied baitfish imitations are productive. Fly anglers should try hoppers during this time as well. “Some of the nicest trout of the season will rise to a hopper on a sunny fall day,” he says.
He notes that central sand streams tend to run low and clear in the fall, increase fishes’ wariness. “Fishing during overcast or raining days will help. Fishing very early or at dusk into dark is also productive. Fishing just before the season closes can be very rewarding. These migratory browns can be very aggressive. Anglers should cover lots of water looking for active fish.”
Sullivan lists the following streams as having great fishing access and healthy populations of fish: the Waupaca, Willow, White, Pine and Mecan rivers.
Jon Hansen, a Madison-based DNR fisheries biologist, took his brother fishing on a Richland County stream a few days before his brother got married. “We each caught about 10 fish in about 2.5 hours in about 90 degree heatm,” he says. “Fishing hoppers in these Driftless Area streams right now is easy, fun, and effective, especially if you have a small nymph tied to the hopper as a “dropper” fly—pink squirrels and bead head prince nymphs work quite well as the “dropper” fly.”
Good bets for places to go are found downstream of habitat improvement projects; find listings of recent projects online under the category, Expenditures of Inland Trout Stamp Revenues.
Fantastic Lake Michigan trout fishing moves to streams
Fishing for trout and salmon should be pretty good this fall, coming off a fantastic season thus far. Anglers caught chinook salmon starting early in the season and it continued throughout the summer, according to Brad Eggold, DNR fisheries supervisor for southern Lake Michigan. In addition to large number of chinook salmonid harvested, anglers also caught good numbers of steelhead and coho salmon. Fall tributary fishing is highly dependent on water levels and more rain is needed to bring water levels and flow up so that salmon are attracted and make a spawning run up their stocked river.
Anglers will find weekly fishing reports for Lake Michigan and tributary waters, on DNR’s Lake Michigan Outdoor Fishing report, found online at this address:
http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/lakemichigan/outdoorreport.html In general, fishing reports will be updated once per week, usually on Tuesdays. This may change based on availability of reports and work schedules of field staff.
Recorded versions of this information are also available. For Northern Lake Michigan and Green Bay, call 920-746-2873. For Southern Lake Michigan, call 414-382-7920.
The U.S.Geological Survey website showing current river flow conditions and comparing them to historical levels can help anglers as well. The site is user-friendly and while not all rivers have flow gauges on them there is typically one on a nearby river and anglers can get a feel for how the river they want to fish is doing flow-wise.
Trout fishing tips and forecasts for some waters
Dane County
My gut, from field sampling on our warm water systems lately is that the water is lower and clearer in most reaches. Smaller streams had water-cressed over in many spots back in July and are still heavily vegetated…so fishing is to some degree restricted to larger systems that have more drainage area, thus flow and less vegetation . Given the low stages, I would counsel fishing in low-light conditions and treading lightly …fish are spooky and have greater vulnerability now …stealthiness can’t hurt. (And reading glasses ! ) It’s the last of the summer grasshopper season and fish have had plenty to eat so I would suggest switching up tactics and using spinners or minnow imitations rather than hopper and dry fly approaches. Bugs have been a non-issue so some of the more (typically) wet edge streams like Mt. Vernon, Story are easier to fish from an insect standpoint.- Kurt Welke, fisheries biologist, Fitchburg
Dunn, Pierce and St. Croix counties
Due to the hot summer weather trout fishing activity has been lighter than normal. While much of the state is suffering from drought, streams in Pierce, St. Croix and Dunn County are in excellent shape. Anglers can expect good densities and larger fish than normal on the most popular streams such as the Rush and Kinnickinnic. September should prove to be an outstanding month to get out on the streams.- Marty Engel, fisheries biologist, Baldwin
Lincoln and Langlade counties
Trout fishing has been picking up with cooler temps and more fishers out and about. This year’s surveys have shown that trout came through the warm summer in good shape and trout numbers in Lincoln and Langlade county streams continue to be very good! There are above average numbers of trout in our streams again this year with good numbers of quality size trout available for anglers. Fall colors are right around the corner and some of the best trout fishing, comfortable weather, and scenery of the entire year is at hand. Get out and enjoy this wonderful resource we are blessed to have! – Dave Seibel, fisheries biologist, Antigo
Monroe, Vernon, La Crosse counties
Anglers are happy. They’ve reported catching lot of fish, and there are lots of fish in the streams. People were concerned about the high water temperatures and lack of rain but from my surveys, it has not affected that trout at all. -- Jordan Weeks, fisheries biologist, La Crosse
Iowa and Richland counties
Trout fishing in Southwestern Wisconsin has been outstanding all season. The populations of wild brown trout are excellent and the overall size structure is good. Fishing pressure was lighter than normal for much of the summer due to the extremely hot weather keeping the anglers off of the streams. Water conditions are currently excellent and the remainder of the season should provide excellent trout angling. – Gene Van Dyck, fisheries biologist, Dodgeville
Racine County
On the Root River, rain has raised the river level to where water is only trickling over the Horlick dam. Water temperatures were measured between 72-75 degrees in the deeper pools. No anglers were seen fishing due to the low water levels, and no salmon or trout seen migrating up stream yet. One angler was seen fishing for bluegills and smallmouth in the deeper holes upstream of the Root River Steelhead Facility. – Ryan Sniadach, fisheries creel clerk, Milwaukee
Manitowoc County
There have been some browns and king salmon caught in the Manitowoc River, but fish are just beginning to stage near shore and in the harbors, not run upriver yet in any numbers. The Manitowoc, Branch, East Twin, and West Twin Rivers are all in the upper 60°F range to low 70’s °F. There have been no reported fish caught in Silver Creek or the Little Manitowoc River yet. Water levels are very low on all rivers and creeks throughout the area. Across from the Maritime Museum in Manitowoc is a good location that is giving up some salmon and an occasional brown trout, though this area as well as the rest of the rivers upstream from harbors will be closed to night fishing starting September 15th.- Thomas Gerbyshak, fisheries creel clerk, Mishicot
Kewaunee County
Looks like the first wave of brown trout and chinook salmon have been staging off the Algoma and Kewaunee harbors, getting ready for their spawning runs up the Ahnapee and Kewaunee rivers, respectively. One example: A pair of private trollers caught two browns and five chinooks — three in the first hour and four over the next four hours — fishing within a mile of shore at Algoma Wednesday morning.- David Boyarski, fisheries supervisor, Sturgeon Bay
Oconto and Marinette counties
There are fish staging off the Menominee River but the water temperature is too warm and the water levels too low for those fish to migrate up river from the bay. Things are in good shape so I’d expect a good run of browns and chinook in particular. We expect the same for the Little, Peshtigo and Oconto rivers as well. – Mike Donofrio, fisheries supervisor, Peshtigo
Western Wisconsin
For me September is the best month for Wisconsin trout fishing. Crops are ripening, late summer-early fall colors have started to show and birds are staging and migrating. Later in the month I can combine hunting grouse, woodcock, and wood ducks in the morning and finishing the day fishing for trout. 2012 has been an incredible grasshopper year in the Driftless area and hopper pattern fly fishing should be good until the end of the season. September can also bring flying ant hatches which can rival any spring hatch for fly fishing activity. Brook trout have moved to areas of groundwater inflow readying for the fall spawn. Colorful males are kype jawed and will aggressively chase spinners, small jigs, and crank baits as well as live bait.- Pete Segerson, operations supervisor, Black River Falls
Waupaca, Waushara counties
With cooler weather in the forecast and hopefully more "fall" like weather over the next few weeks, anglers should take advantage of the last few weeks of the inland trout season. Recent surveys have shown that trout numbers remain strong on area streams. The unseasonal warm summer temperatures have driven many and larger trout to find refuge in cooler, smaller headwater portions of streams and tributaries. This along with the beginning of seasonal migrations toward spawning areas should give anglers a better chance at targeting trout. Cooler evenings and mornings would be the best time to try. The dry conditions have reduced mosquito and biting fly numbers, but grasshoppers are now abundant. - David H. Bartz, fisheries biologist, Wautoma